Remote control means for cranes



.lu-n 17, 1930.

. D. S. MORROW REMOTE CONTROL MEANS FOR CRANES F11ed July 11, 1928 s sheets-sheet 1 D. s. MoRRow 1,765,173` REMOTE CONTROL MEANS FOR CRANES Filed July 1l. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 `)une 17 1930.

June 17, 1930. D. s. MoRRow REMOTE CONTROL MEANS FOR CRANES Filed July 11, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 NVENTOR.

BY s.muRRnu1 Patented June 17, 1930 f.

'DEAN' S.'MORROW, OF EUGENE, GREGGN REMOTE courrier. i/rnziivsY ren cannes Application led'July 11, 1928. Serial No. 291,817.

This invention i'elates to improvements in remote control means for cranes and the like apparatus. f

The principal object of this invention is 5 to-provide means whereby a crane, either .a toy crane or a hoist crane may be controlled from a remote point in such/a manner that allfof the functions of the crane maybe eil-- ecuted from vthe remotepoint.v 'f

,fr further object isy to produce a device which is simple andtherefore one which may be easily operated.

A still further object is to produce a device of this character without departing .15 fromy the customary practice in the construeA tion of the crane.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description. l

.20 ln' the accompanying 1 drawings forming 'A a part of this specification .and in which like numerals are .employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly brelreii away showing my crane together with its carriage, u

Figure 2 is a top plan view of'Figure 1 and partly broken away in order t0 disclose the mechanism thereof, Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view showing, the manner in which a plurality of contacts engage conductor rails,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detailviview showing the mechanism for moving the carriage from point to point, 1

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1, and

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 1.

.40 This invention is primarily designed for use with cranes commonly termed toy cranes which operate lover a minature track. Qranesl of this character have heretofore been made, these cranes however, must be manually operated by the person using the same after the crane has been placed upon the track at any predetermined p oint.

Applicant has therefore devised means whereby the crane may be moved from point to point through electrical means conof the wheels Y.

trolled from a remote point, and further ap* plicant has provided means whereby when the crane has reached a predetermined point the various movements of the crane may be executed also from the remote point.

It is of course4 obvious4 that the` construction hereshowii if made upon a large scale could be readily employed, in the handling of `large sized cranes commonly employed in handling vof heavy material, with the re'- .6.0 sult that a single operator could, from a tower, control the movement f of a crane about a yard, handling various commodi-` ties and delivering these commodities to remote points. v I

Tn the accompanying drawings wherein i for the purpose of illustration is shown la preferred embodiment of my invention, the

numerals 5 and6 refer to ordinary rails'upwheels 7 of the carriage roll. 7,0

on which the This carriage is designated as a whole by the numeral 8. Suspended beneath the carriage as by bearings 9 rand 11 is a shaft 12, having a gear 13 at each end thereof These gears mesh with gears 14 mountedv upon the axle 75 It is of course, obvious that thefgear 11i at one end of the'carriage is mounted upon the right hand wheel, while the gear at the opposite end of the carriage must be mounted upon the left hand wheel. y87,9

vThe shaft 12 carries a irey 16 which slidably engages a cellar 17 having gear faces 18 and 19. A. slot is shown at 21, which s slot isk engaged by yolre 22 pivoted as at 23 to theuiiderside of the carriage 8. This 85 yokecarries an armature 2d which is inline withgthe poles of electromagnets`26 anl 27. .These electromagnetsare each grounded as at 28 and 29 respectively. The electro-V magnet 26 is cfninected by a wire 31 to a 99 contact 32, which engages a conductor rail 33 (see Figure 3). The electro'magnet 27 is connected by a wire 3d to a `contact 36 which engages conductor Arail? i verticaiy disposed shaft e8 is suitably 95 journaled in the carriage 8 and has a gear y 39 secured to its lower end, which gear is in alignment with the gears 18 and 19 and is adaptedto be engaged by them as will be later seen, Mounted above the carriage 1 00 Y 8 is a turn table gear 41. This gear is centrally disposed about the shaft 38 and'serves to support the crane platform 42 as by rollers 43. The crane platform supports a super-structure designated vas a whole by the numeral 44. In order to maintain the crane platform against vertical movement with respect to the gear 41, I provide a collar 46 which is preferably made integral with the gear 41 and is provided with an annular recess 47 which recess is engaged by the ends of retaining bolts 48 carried on ia depending collar 49 which is secured to the crane platform 42. This construction permits rotary movement of the crane platform with respect to the carriage 8, but will not permitgvertical movement with respect to each other.v This construction is best shown in Figure 5.

By now referring to Figure 6, it will be noted that a tubular member `51 carries a Vplurality of rings 52 which rings are enthereto.

gaged by contact lingers 53 carried upon an upright 54. This tubular member 51 extends downwardly throughthe carriage 8. vThis permits Ythe wires 56, 57, 58, 59, 61 vand 62 to'pass downwardly therethrough and outwardly as shown in Figure 1, which wires are in Yturn connected to the contacts 63, 64, 66, '67, 68 and 69 respectively. These contacts engage conductor rails 71, 72, 73, 74, '76 and 77`respecti`vely. It is of course understood Ythat each of these wires is connected rto one of the rings 52. A motor is shown at 78, which meter drives a shaft 79 having a worm 81 secured This worm engages a worm gear 82 carried upon 'a cross shaft 83, which cross shaft carries a bevel `gear 84 at one end which engages a bevel gear 86 carried upon the upper end of the shaft 38. A bevel gear 8 7 is carried upon the opposite end of the shaft and is adapted to lie between bevel gears 88 and 89, 'while centrally disposed on the shaft 8 3 is a gear 91 which meshes Ywith a ge`ar92 carried upon a shaft 93. This gear 92 has a cone clutch 94 which engages an internal cone upon the brake drum 96. This brake drum is secured to a hoisting drum 97 which drum may be shifted upon its shaft through the medium of a yoke 98 carried upon a pivoted lever 99. The end of this pivoted lever carries an Varmati'ire 101 which is Vin alignment with an. electromagnet 102 mounted upon the crane platform 42, one side of which net is grounded while the opposite side is connected by wire Y103 to contact finger 104. A lever 106 is pivoted to the platform as shown at 107, which lever has an arm 108 in engagement with an arm 109 of a lever 111 and pivoted as at 112. A spring 113 normally keeps Vthe lever 111 in position shown in Figure Y It will be noted that this lever underli'e's an electromagnet 114 one 'side of 'which is grounded, while the opposite side is connected by a wire 116 to Contact finger 53. The lever 111 has an arm 117 one end of which is secured to a friction brake 118 carried upon the brake drum 96.

The motor 78 has one side grounded, while the opposite side is connected by a wire 119 tc the contact finger 121. The ren maining contact fingers shown but not numbered are connected to their respective electromagnets, connection of which has been omitted in order to clarify the drawing. A hoisting cable is shown at 122, which hoisting cable needs no further description other than to say it is reaved over the crane arm 123.

Referring now to Figure 4 it will be noted Athat the gears 88 and 89 arecarried upon a vertically disposed shaft 124, which shaft. has .a gear 126 at its lower end, which gear meshes with the turntable gear 41 andis of a greater width than gear 41 which perm-its vertical movement of one gear with respect to theother `without the gear'sgetting out of mesh. A yoke 127 is carried upon a pivoted levery 128 and has a counter weight 129, which lever is 'pivoted asat 131. A downwardly extending arm 132 carries ,an 'armature 133, which armature isinalignment with the poles of electromagnets 134 and 136. These magnets are each grounded on one side and have their opposite sides connected as by wires 137 and`138 respectively to their proper contact fingers.

The operation of my crane is as gfollows: Assuming that the same has been placed on thel track as 'shown in Figure 3, so that the various contact arms kengage the contact rails, and assuming that'the operator desires to move the entirev crane and carriage, the proper button is pressedso as to complete the circuit to the motorv 78.

This circuitmayrbe kept closedat alltimes if desired. The operator next pushes the button which controls the electromagnet 27. This causes the armature 24 to move the yoke 22and consequently the gear 19 into engagement with the Ygear 39 Ywhich is carried upon the constantlywrotating shaft 38, this shaft being -driven through its 'con- 'nec'tion to the motor 7 8.A As long .as the electromagnet is energized the crane and carriage will move along the railsr V5 and 6. As soon as 'the electromagnet ,27 is dee'nergized, further 'movement will be prevented through the fact that the gears 19 and 39 will become disengaged.

Should it (be desiredr to move the carriage in the opposite direction, the same action would take place with the exception that the electromagnet 26 will be energized "which will move the yoke in the opposite direction, thus engaging gears y18 and 39.

Assuming now 'that the crane "and carriage 1 ist the operator wishes to swing the crane to one side, he presses a button which ener'- gizes the electromagnet 184. This immediately attracts the armature 183 with the result that the gear 89 is moved into engagement with the gear 87. This gear 87 is being rotated by the motor 78 with the result that the shaft 124 will be rotated in one direction. This will malre the gear 126 carried upon the shaft 124 rotate about the turn table gear 41. Consequently the crane platform and crane structure will be swung to one side. If it is desired to swing the crane to the opposite side, the electromagnet 136 is energized which will move the gear 88 into engagement with the gear 87 and consequently the shaft 124 and its gear 126 will be rotated in the opposite direction.

Assuming now that the crane has been swung to one side and it is desired tomaf nipulate the hoisting cable 122, as it is first necessary to drop the hoisting cable so that the end may be engaged, the same is accom plished by pressing thefbutton controlling E electromagnet 114. This pulls upwardly on the lever 111 which lever is in turn connected as at 117 to the brake band 118. This releases the hoisting drum 97 and consequently the cable 122 may be paid'out as desired.V

Assuming that the load has been'connected to the cable and it is desired tohoist the same, the proper button is pressed which cnergizes the electromagnet 102. vThis electromagnet pulls upon the armature 101 carried upon the lever 99 which in turn causes the yoke 98 to push the hoisting drum into engagement with the clutch 94. As this clutch is being constantly driven by the gear 92 the result will be that the hoisting drum 97 will revolve and wind up the cable thus lifting the load. At the same time the electromagnet 102 has moved the arm 106 so that the end 108 is bearing against the lever 109, which lever is connected to the brake operating lever 111 and consequently the brake is released during the hoisting period. As soon as the current is turned off from the electromagnet 102 the hoisting operation will cease and the brake will immediately be applied so that the load will be held Where desired and cannot again be lowered until the electromagnet 114 is again energized.

lt will thus be seen that I have produced a device which will accomplish all the objects above set forth.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

lsaid platform, each of said magnets being electrically connected to one of said conductors whereby said magnets may be ractuated from a remote point. i

In testimony Whereofl aflix my signature.`

DEAN S. MORROW. 

